


Of Eggos and Pillowforts

by WillowRedWitch



Series: Friends Don't Lie [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Babysitter Steve Harrington, F/M, Fluff, I love them so much, Jopper, Mileven, Post-Canon, Protective Parent Jim "Chief" Hopper, Some angst, Takes place after season 2, but very light, mostly headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-02-03 12:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12748344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowRedWitch/pseuds/WillowRedWitch
Summary: What happens after Eleven closes the gate?Takes place where season 2 left off.Mostly my headcanons.





	1. The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is currently un-betaed because my beta reader is working on tech for a show in two weeks so it will probably get heavily edited later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, This chapter keeps throwing me off and I'm still not completely happy with how it turned out. I'm much happier with how the rest of this is going.
> 
> I did do some edits on 12/11/17 and I like it a little better. 
> 
> None of the plot changed so you don't have to reread it if you don't want to, just changed some sentences to make them clearer. Enjoy!

Eleven fell back to the metal floor of the suspended platform, grabbing onto Hopper on her way down. She sniffled against the blood and the ringing of her own screams in her ears as she clung tight to him. 

“You did good, kid,” he said and held her up. “You did so good.” She clung to him and buried her face into his neck. Safe. Loved. Fianlly.

Eventually, she felt sleep pulling at her and Hopper laying her down gently on the platform, so he could work on getting them out. She smiled softly and let her eyes fall shut. It was over. It was finally over. And she slept.

\------

Hopper wrapped his arms tightly around Eleven carrying her carefully out of the building that had haunted her nightmares for years. She pretended she didn’t still have nightmares, but he heard her cry at night sometimes and every time wondered if he should acknowledge it and bring her Eggos and hot chocolate or just let her have her space. Ultimately, every time he reasoned she’d come to him if she needed him. But now he wondered if he should have been helping her all along. She’s so strong he forgets that all these years she’s been taking care of herself and maybe she doesn’t realize that asking for help is an option.

He placed her in the passenger seat of the truck and carefully wrapped her in a blanket he always kept in the back but never really knew why. She curled into it in her sleep her punk makeup smeared over her face and he smiled fondly for just a moment before climbing into his side of the truck and driving away from the building that’s hurt her for so many years. He'd be happy to see it burn if it meant it would never hurt her or anyone else ever again.

He’d like to think this was final, the gate was closed and no one would be hurt by the Upside Down again, but he was under no delusions that this was it. They had just trapped the monster and it would be back. They’d enjoy the quiet while it lasted, and he was determined to give her as normal life as he could for as long as he could. He would never admit it, but he secretly was thankful she had such loyal friends to guide her. They were good to her and gave her a home before he had ever been in the picture. They kept her safe when he couldn't be there and she loved them, and she had been away from them for too long. That’s why he made the decision to drive back to Joyce’s house instead of his secluded cabin in the woods. 

As he pulled up into the darkened driveway he saw the Wheeler kid come out of the front door bouncing on his toes. He’ll be honest, he didn’t love the fact that the Wheeler kid and El seemed to be so attached to each other, but he had to admit the kid was loyal and he knew he’d voluntarily cut off all of his own fingers before he hurt El. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to scare the living daylights out of the kid any chance he got. He remembered himself at fourteen, after all. Then he thought about how he had kept them away from each other for possibly too long... well a little scaring was all in good fun. 

“Is she—” he said, then cut off and Hopper could see it in his eyes he was scared shitless about her.

“She’ll be fine, Kid,” he said gruffly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her out of the car. She curled into him in her sleep and he couldn’t help the small smile as he brought her into the house the Wheeler kid on his heels the whole way. 

“Are you sure?” he asked, nervously. 

Hopper sighed laying El on the couch. “Yeah, kid. Just let her sleep okay?”

The Wheeler kid nodded but immediately took up a post right next to the couch where he could keep an eye on El and make sure she was okay. Hopper sighed choosing not to argue, halfway happy. He had to admit, Wheeler was loyal to a fault, which made him as close to perfect for El as anyone could be, but Hopper would never admit that outloud. He shook his head and wandered into the kitchen finding Joyce leaning against the counter. She picked her head up as he walked in.

“Hey, how is he?” he asked.

“Sleeping, but he’ll be fine,” she said and sounded exhausted. “El?”

“Same. Sleeping, but fine.” He sighed and leaned against the counter and picked the cigarette out of Joyce's fingers to take a long drag off of it. "They'll be okay." Joyce only nodded in response.

\------

Mike was restless. He had been walking between Will and Eleven’s bedsides across the house for nearly two hours until Steve put a hand on his shoulder halting him in his tracks. 

“Wheeler. Stop.”

“No,” Mike growled back, pushing at Steve’s arms. 

Nancy sighed from the corner, looking exhausted. “Mike, you’re just gonna wear yourself out and then you’ll be no use to them when they wake up. Rest.”

Mike looked like he was about to retort, but then settled next to the couch where Eleven was to wait. He leaned his head against the cushions by her legs closing his eyes softly.

“What about your parents?” he heard Jonathan ask Nancy, but at this point, he didn’t feel like moving.

“Don’t know,” she replied a slight yawn in her voice.

“Call them. Tell them you’re over a friend's house and Mike is here for a sleepover. Then I’ll call the other’s parents. I’ll tell them Mom’s making dinner, so she couldn’t call and they’re all playing a board game and are sleeping over.” Nancy didn’t answer, and Mike assumed she just nodded. 

“I’ll order pizza,” Steve mumbled, and that was the last thing Mike heard before he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! This is my first multi-chapter and unfortunately, I don't know how often I'll get to update. I've been in the hospital a lot recently and I'm also a senior in college so my life is kind of taking me for a whirlwind at the moment.
> 
> That being said I have a lot outlined and some future scenes already planned. Stranger Things has gotten me back into writing and I will be writing as often as I can!
> 
> Comments are amazing! So if you have any ideas or requests or general comments/questions pop those down below!
> 
> Tumblr: [musingsofabookworm](https://musingsofabookworm.tumblr.com)


	2. Sleeping El

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike fusses over El and spends the day at the cabin until she awakes. 
> 
> Mike and Hopper do some bonding because I like the idea of Hopper as Mike's father figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Eggos guys! This little fic has gotten SO much support and you all are incredible! 
> 
> I know this chapter is longer and I hope to keep them that way, (around 1,000+ words) but I also want to get you guys updates so we'll see how life messes with my writing schedule.
> 
> Here's chapter two!

Next thing Mike knew he was being awakened by El’s foot moving. He woke up suddenly in a daze reaching for her.

“El?”

“Go back to sleep, kid,” Hopper’s voice came to him. “You can see her tomorrow.”

Mike was suddenly very awake watching as Hopper lifted Eleven off the couch. “No, I’m coming with you."

Hopper sighed, “No kid.”

“Yes.” Mike was adamant that he would be allowed to stay by her side until she woke up. He was standing now following Hopper closely. “I want to be there, please.” He knew he was begging and he didn’t much care if he was being honest. All he knew was that the most important thing in the world was to be there when Eleven woke up.

Hopper sighed and seemed to be debating with himself.

“I’ll cover for him,” Nancy said out of nowhere. Every eye in the room turned to her. “If our parents call,” she looked at between Hopper and Mike. She looked at El and smiled. “He needs to be there.”

Hopper sighed again and fiddled with his hat. “Fine.” He lifted Eleven off the couch again. “Com’on then.”

\------

Mike followed him out to the big police truck automatically climbing in the back to lay Eleven’s head on his lap. He seemed to forget Hopper was there as he stroked her hair that had begun to break free of the gel. He smiled watching it begin to curl around his fingers as they drove towards the cabin.

"Kid," Hopper's deep voice brought Mike out of his daydreams and he jumped slightly.

"Yes, Sir."

Hopper sighed. "You don't need to call me sir, Kid."

"O-okay," Mike said, still running his fingers absentmindedly through El's hair. He looked up at Hopper through the rearview mirror.

Hopper sighed again. "I'm not gonna keep you away again, Kid, but there's gotta be some ground rules."

Mike nodded, eager to do anything to be with El always.

"For now... just no one can know where she is except for the people that already know. I have a feeling Dr. Owens will be more helpful from now on, but we have to be careful."

"I-I know," Mike stuttered out and looked down at El sleeping peacefully her fingers softly curling beside her face. "I don't want them to take her away again. I don't want anything bad to happen to her ever again. I just want her to be happy."

Hopper took a deep breath as they pulled up to the cabin. "I know Kid, me too. We can go over the other rules later."

\------

Together they both got El into the cabin. Hopper laid her down on her bed and Mike took up post next to it only getting up briefly to get a blanket and some water from Hopper in the main room.

"Door stays open," he said to Mike as the kid fussed around over making sure El was warm and comfortable.

"Of course," Mike said back only slightly distracted.

He was surprised when Hopper brought him a blanket, too and a pillow. "You need sleep, too."

Mike nodded in response not quite knowing what to say. He wasn't used to adults caring about him, well at least not male adults. He looked up at Hopper with a small smile. "I'll try."

Hopper nodded and turned to go to his bed in the main room. "Come get me if she wakes up."

"Yeah." Mike paused for a second. "Hey, Hopper?"

Hopper stopped and turned to look at Mike. "Yeah, Kid?"

"Are you like, El's dad now?"

Hopper stopped and looked at Mike a little flabbergasted. "I hope so kid."

Mike smiled. "Me, too."

\------

Mike slept on the floor in El's room until around eleven the next day when he heard Hopper moving around the small cabin. He immediately sat up to check on El who was still sleeping, the water next to her bed untouched. Mike sighed and got up stretching a bit and padded out to the main room where Hopper was making breakfast.

"Hungry, Kid?" he asked and Mike nodded.

The spent the day cleaning up what was left from Eleven's temper tantrum only a few days before. Mike knew in the following weeks they were going to have to repair the cabin and the Byers' house and it was going to be a lot of work. Good thing they had a big party. Every so often he would go and check on El making sure she still looked like she was doing okay and that she hadn't woken up.

Around two he heard groaning. He dropped the broom he was holding and rushed into her room.

\------

Eleven stretched awake slowly and yawned. She was in her room in the cabin, but she didn't remember how she got there. She was starving and thirsty and she was still in her clothes. Sitting up she saw Mike standing in the doorway and all of the events from the night before came rushing back to her.

"Mike," she breathed out, and he ran across the room wrapping his arms around her, she hugged him back just as tight.

"Don't scare me like that," he was crying, and she just shook her head against his shoulder.

"I came back. I promised," she kept insisting.

"I know... I just... EL you've been asleep for nearly a whole day and after what you went through. I didn't know... I thought you wouldn't wake up," Mike spoke in stuttered gasps and El didn't know what to do except just let him babble. She continued to just hold him in her hug, happy to have him back.

"Mike..."

"Yeah?" he said finally looking up at her.

"I understand," she said, repeating what she'd said to him nearly a year ago when he explained to him what a 'mouthbreather' was.

He gave her a watery smile and she smiled back. It was then that her stomach decided to growl and she giggled.

"Oh, of course," Mike said getting up and fussing over her, "of course you're hungry... you've been sleeping all day... and the energy drain from the gate..."

"Kid." Hopper's voice came from the doorway with a poorly disguised chuckle. "It's okay she's not going anywhere." Mike blushed and El gave him a warm smile. "Sit. I'll bring you both lunch. What do you want?"

"Eggos?" El said hopefully and Mike and Hopper both laughed.

"Yeah, okay. Eggos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just blown away by how much love this fic has gotten and I haven't even done that much on the main fic! Thank you guys so so so much from the bottom of my heart! I just love this show so much and it's been such a source of comfort for me and when I log in to AO3 and see my numbers rising and every new comment and kudos it just makes my heart soar!
> 
> My tumblr is: [musingsofabookworm](https://musingsofabookworm.tumblr.com) so come love me and scream with me about Stranger Things! (it's like all I post right now) Asks are great, too I'd love to hear from you!
> 
> Comments are my life sustenance and they keep me going!
> 
> Again you guys are just incredible and I know I've been sick and injured my wrist and then finals and I haven't been getting a lot to you, but you guys are amazing and I'm so excited to get more of this done! 
> 
> (And if you like Yuri on Ice I have started the Christmas challenge so you can go on over and check that out <3 it's called Skating for the Holidays)


	3. Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eleven wakes up and tells her two favorite people about what went down in their time apart. She has fears and Hopper and Mike make it okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, there have been so many mini hiatus's. I'm home for the holidays, but that now means family time so I'm still busy. I also injured my wrist so it's slow going.
> 
> As always, self-betaed so let me know about typos.
> 
> Enjoy!

Hopper wound up making three triple Eggo extravaganzas for the three of them. Mike was fretting over El her whole way to the kitchen asking her if she was sure she wanted to sit and saying they could just have breakfast in her room, but she was determined to eat at the table with her two favorite people.

Once they were seated a heavy silence fell over the room. It didn't bother them so much while they ate focusing on chewing, but once the Eggos were eaten the events of the past few days hit them heavily. Eleven looked between Hopper and Mike and thought about her trip and her 'real' name and then wondered what had happened while she was gone with the two of them.

She decided if they weren't going to say anything she was. "Mike, my real name is Jane," she blurted not really knowing the social protocol for hard topics. 

Mike's jaw dropped looking at her like she had three heads, she guessed that wasn't the right way to start this conversation, but she was El and he was Mike and she knew he'd forgive her.

"How?" he started, but she shook her head. Hopper leaned back in his chair waiting for her story which he already knew part of.

"I found your papers," she said looking at Hopper, "the ones in the floor." He nodded, he had figured. "I found Mama with the radio."

"Mama?" Mike asked, and she trained her very big and emotion full eyes on him and he fought not to fall into them.

It was Hopper's turn to sigh. "El had a mother, Kid. She was experimented on just like El, and when El was born they took her away. Told everyone her mom was on drugs and had a miscarriage. When her mom went lookin' for her they, uh, made her go crazy."

"Dream circle," El mumbled.

"They turned her brain to mush," Hopper clarified. "I met her, back when we were looking for Will and looking up other missing kids, me and Joyce found her."

Mike could feel himself getting mad. He balled his fists but decided to let El finish her story so he just nodded to her to continue.

"I went to her, with the man in the truck. She showed me the dream circle. The rainbow room where she tried to save me. There was another girl, Kali. In Chicago, I went there."

"You went to Chicago?" Hopper sounded as stressed as Mike felt. "How did you get there?"

"The bus."

"You took a bus, to Chicago?!" El just nodded in response. Hopper placed his forehead on his hand and nodded, "Then what?"

Eleven took a deep breath and it was clear this is when her story got painful. Mike couldn't imagine what could be worse then seeing your mother so sick and didn't think he wanted to hear the rest of El's story if it was worse, but he had to be strong for her. He took her hand and smiled silently encouraging, she smiled back.

"Kali makes you see things, but they aren't real. She lives with other. They hurt the bad men."

"How hurt?" Mike asked.

"Dead," El said simply then looked down. "Mike..." he voice broke and Mike squeezed her hand softly. "I didn't kill him. I couldn't, but he said P- he said Papa's alive, and Kali-" El was getting hysterical now chocking on her words and she tried to recount her story with limited words. "Mike- Kali- made, she made Papa come."

"Wait, she knows where Brenner is?" Mike was so scared, did he know where El was? Was he going to come and get her?

Eleven shook her head. "Not real. She made me see him. Not real papa."

Mike breathed a sigh of relief then looked at the hurt on El's face, that had to have been traumatizing for her. To see him again after a year of freedom.

"I came home. I shouldn't have left. I'm sorry." she was babbling now and Mike pulled her into a hug. She clung to him tight and he looked over at Hopper who looked like a wide range of emotions were all fighting for dominance in his head.

"Shhhh, it's okay El," Mike was whispering and rubbing her back, but he was shaking, too. "We're here and you're safe and the gate is closed and it's over. For right now it's over. A-and if B-Brenner comes back, he'll have to go through me a-and Hop to get you. Okay?"

"Damn, right," Hopper agreed, and El looked up to smile at both of them weakly. She nodded still curled against Mike, and he pressed a soft kiss to her hair.

\-----

A little while later they were cleaning up after breakfast, or Hopper was cleaning up and Mike and El were sitting on the couch. El was tucked into Mike's side still thinking about their talk and feeling safe then she had in a while. 

Hopper had just finished the dishes when there was a knock at the door. Mike and Eleven looked up in alarm and Hopper looked over at them. No one except people in the party would know that they were here, but what if someone found them? The chief nodded his head and Eleven and Mike ducked into her room shutting the door behind them and leaning against it to hear what was going on.

Hopper dried his hands on a dish towel and grabbed his gun tucking it just out of sight. He walked over to the door and slowly opened it to see Steve Harrington.

"Hey," Steve said in greeting. He was holding a duffel bag and was still covered in blood. "Don't worry no one followed me, Nancy told me how to get here. Didn't phone cuz we didn't know if anyone would be listening. I brought Mike some clothes and if it's okay I thought I'd hang around then bring him home so you could stay with Eleven."

Hopper let out a sigh of relief and gruffly let Steve into the small cabin. He moved over to El's door and knocked against it, _taptap-tap-taptaptap_ , to let her know it was safe. Mike emerged with a smile, but El didn't.

"She's resting," Mike said, but Hopper saw right through it. Eleven had never really met Steve, not really. The night before they didn't really have time for pleasantries and El didn't trust people easily, even if he was part of the party.

Hopper grunted in response and sat on the couch. "Well Harrington's got some stuff for you, and I know you don't want to leave yet because she just woke up." Hopper rubbed his temples in a way only a disgruntled father could. "So why don't you go change, call your parents, and then you both can spend the afternoon here. Steve can drive you home after dinner."

Mike's face lit up like Christmas had come early. He grabbed the duffel from Steve and rushed into El's room to tell her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's a Christmas chapter, but I'm not sure I'm going to get to it before the holiday, I still have a lot of other things to write before we get there! I thought about making it separate like the Thanksgiving one, but I'm not sure yet. 
> 
> So if not everyone have lovely holidays whatever you celebrate!
> 
> My tumblr is: [musingsofabookworm](https://musingsofabookworm.tumblr.com)
> 
> Comments make me smile!


	4. Babysitter Steve Harrington

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve Harrington meets the party member who's been missing for a year. 
> 
> He might be more nervous than her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in a week! I know I'm spoiling you guys!
> 
> So, I LOVE this chapter! 
> 
> I may or may not have had to stop writing several times just to cry over Steve Harington and how amazing he is. 
> 
> Self-betaed so let me know!

Steve shifted uncomfortably from where he stood. He wasn't used to being around the Chief of police, he wasn't used to being the big brother he'd somehow become, and he defiantly wasn't used to being part of this crazy party.

"How are they?" The Chief's voice made Steve jump as it broke the silence in the quiet cabin.

"Will's awake," Steve answered. "Woke up early this morning. I drove all the kids home before I came over. Nancy's covering for Mike... well was, I guess if he's going to call."

"And Joyce?" Hopper asked trying to keep the crack of worry out of his voice.

"Coping," Steve answered simply. Hopper nodded in response.

Their conversation was cut short as Mike came bounding back out of Eleven's room with a huge smile on his face and ran over to the phone to call his mom. Steve couldn't help but smile at how happy Mike was just to be near El. There was so much hurt in the past few day that seeing the smile on the kid's face over something so simple as getting to stay just a little later was a little contagious.

Mike came back over to Steve after hanging up the phone. He took the duffel bag from him then looked up with a wide smile, "Want to come meet her?"

\-----

Steve didn't know what to expect from the small telekinetic girl he'd heard so much about. He'd only seen her briefly at the Byers the night before. That was until she ran off again and he had to deal with a side of Mike he'd never seen before.

He followed Mike into the small room cautiously. Whatever he was expecting, this wasn't it. The small girl who he'd see dressed all in black less than twenty-four hours ago was wearing pastel pink pajamas and her slicked back hair had broken out of the hair gel to sick out in odd curls that framed her face. The black make-up was gone and she had a natural dusting of pink over her cheeks.

The room was cozy and adorned more than the rest of the cabin. There was a small bookshelf with a simple lamp on top and some knick-knacks that it seemed Hopper had found in order to make her room a little homier. There was a wooden chair in the corner, a small dresser, and an even more modest nightstand. Nothing decorated the walls, but he was sure in the weeks to come it would be filled with Polaroids of the party and drawings by Will. Maybe he would even get a spot, he hoped so.

In the center of the room was a rather comfortable looking bed piled high with blankets and pillows. In the center of the mass of cozy-looking objects wrapped up tight with just her face showing was Eleven holding a ratty looking stuffed lion. She gave him a small smile as he came in, but pulled the blankets tighter around herself.

Mike sat next to her pulling her closer into his arms and smiled encouragingly up at Steve.

"El, this is Steve Harrington," Mike smiled. "Steve, this is Eleven. Or do you prefer Jane now?" He turned to the small bundle of blankets with a smile.

Eleven looked up at him with a small smile. Her eyes wide with emotion and said in a small, but firm, voice, "Party calls me El."

Mike nodded and smiled. "Okay then. Steve this is El."

\---

El was nervous about meeting Steve. She heard a lot about him when she was with Mike a year ago in that one week. Mostly she heard that he was an asshole and arrogant and dating Mike's sister, Nancy. But that had changed? Mike had told her he was part of the party now and El was confused.

"I'm going to call my mom and, um, then I'll bring him in here and you can meet him, okay?" Mike was sitting to her and she buried into him more. She was happy that Steve was going to bring Mike home because it meant Mike got to stay longer, but she didn't trust people easily. "Hey," Mike pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, "I'll be here the whole time. I promise he's okay." El nodded and reluctantly let Mike go.

A few minutes later Mike came back with Steve. He still had blood on his face and clothes and it didn't do much to ease her fears. She had seen him the night before, but just in passing before she went back to the lab. She pulled the blankets back around her at the thought, feeling comforted by the familiar cabin smell that clung to the fabric.

"El, this is Steve Harrington." Mike had his arms around her and it made her feel less afraid. "Steve, this is Eleven." She felt Mike pause and turn to her. "Or do you prefer Jane now?"

A mess of emotions went running through El at those six simple words. She felt loved that Mike would consider maybe she wanted to have a normal name, to live the life she had been robbed of. It meant a lot to her that he gave her a choice where she had never had one. She also felt unease, she'd only ever been called Jane by Aunt Becky and Kali and she wasn't sure she wanted that. She looked up at Mike, the first person to feel like home, and she thought about how he had given her the name 'El' that first night together in the fort.

Strangers could call her Jane if they wanted, but her true name, her chosen name would always be 'El' and she was okay with that. She didn't want a normal name because her life wasn't normal. She couldn't imagine Mike or Hopper or the party calling her anything else. And if Steve was part of the party then he should call her that, too.

"Party calls me, El," she told Mike with utter certainty.

Mike gave her a blinding smile in return and squeezed her a little closer. "Okay then. Steve this is, El."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Steve said with a smile and El relaxed a little. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Powers?" El said, mostly to Mike, knowing he'd understand her.

"Yeah, El. He knows about your powers. He knows everything. It's safe," Mike smiled.

El nodded in response and smiled up at Steve. "Babysitter."

Steve chuckled and it was warm and sincere and reached all the way to his eyes. El relaxed even more, letting the blanket fall off her shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess so," Steve said. El didn't know what was so funny. She'd heard Mike call him the party's babysitter and was just making the connection for herself, but she didn't really mind the way the older boy's face lit up when he laughed. It was comforting in a big brother kind of way. The way Nancy' hugs made her feel safe, and the way Joyce's hugs made her feel like maybe she did have a mom, just not officially.

El turned to Mike with a huge smile on her face.

"What?" he asked her smiling with her.

"Family."

Mike melted and pulled her into a tight hug. "Yeah, El. Family."

Steve stepped more fully into the room and Eleven turned to regard him more relaxed now.

"So powers?" he said and she smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve is amazing! and El as a family and it's all fluff and nothing hurts! 
> 
> Steve just wants to be the best big brother!
> 
> I just love them so much!
> 
> You also got my take on El's name situation so feel free to tell me what you think about that in the comments!
> 
> If you have any suggestions of chapters you want don't be afraid to let me know! I love suggestions! (This fic is just all my headcannons anyway!)
> 
> My Tumblr is: [musingsofabookworm](https://musingsofabookworm.tumblr.com) Come bug me there and scream about how much I love this show so much!
> 
> All I want for Christmas is comments and hugs!
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone!


	5. Phone Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nancy has a surprise for Mike and he has to call El about it right away!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back! I'm sorry this is such a short chapter after such a long hiatus, and I'm even more sorry that it's mostly filler, but it has to set up the next chapter which is looking to be a really exciting one. 
> 
> If you're still here YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME! 
> 
> As always, un-betaed to be edited later so if you catch anything let me know!

The next week progressed mostly uneventfully. Steve and Johnathon helped Hopper fix the cabin and Joyce’s house. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max went back to school, and El and Will stayed on bed-rest. Mike was going stir crazy to see El on Saturday when Nancy came into Mike’s room Thursday night. 

“How would you like to see El a day early?” she asked.

Mike's whole face lit up in a huge smile. “Really? Did you clear it with Hopper? Why are we going a day early?” 

Nancy cut off Mike’s excited babbling before it really got going, “Because Johnathon and I would like to give her something.” She smiled. “I went through some of my old things and thought she might like some new clothes and some things to decorate her room, and Johnathon found some pretty awesome pictures of the party he thought she might want to put on the wall. I already talked to Hopper and we can stay for dinner. If Will is still feeling better he might come, too.”

Mike jumped off his bed and hopped up and down. He was given limited time with El for a few months and only at the cabin. They all couldn’t be in the cabin at the same time, either, because it would draw too much attention. Mike had been planning to go Saturday with Lucas, Dustin, and Max.

“Wait..”

“You can still go Saturday, too,” Nancy cut him off, again, knowing what he was going to say. Mike cheered. “Besides we need to talk to Hopper and Joyce about how we’re going to explain El once she’s allowed out of hiding.”

Mike stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Nancy.

“If she’s gonna be your girlfriend don’t you think she should at least be able to meet Mom and Dad?” Nancy asked with a smile thinking she was giving Mike good news.

Mike’s eyes got wide and panicked. “She’s not my girlfriend!” 

Nancy stifled a laugh. “Of course she’s not,” She agreed, though instead of making Mike feel better he just seemed to turn a deeper shade of red as he turned away from her. She grinned behind his back and turned to leave. “She’s excited to see you, too, by the way. I could hear her in the background when I was on the phone with Hopper.” 

Mike whirled back around to face Nancy’s back. “Wait, can I call her?” 

Nancy did giggle this time. “Hopper doesn’t see why not since he checked for bugs again and found nothing.”

Mike whooped and ran past her to the house phone. 

“I’ll tell Mom you’re calling Lucas,” Nancy said on her way past as Mike dialed the number Hopper wrote down for emergencies nearly a year ago. 

“Hello,” his gruff voice answered through the phone static. 

Mike suddenly felt nervous, what if El didn’t want him to call. He shook himself a little gruffly and spoke clearly. “Hi Hopper. It’s Mike, can I-”

“I’ll go get her,” Hopper cut him off and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Give me one minute, Kid.” 

Mike nodded until he realized Hopper couldn’t see him. “Yes, Sir.”

He heard some muffled talking through the line and then- “Hi Mike.” Her voice was soft and almost as nervous as he felt.

“Hi, El,” he said back feeling a little breathless. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she said in her standard clipped sentences, but he could tell that she had gotten a lot better at speech in the year that she had been away and he had seen her dictionary Hopper got her to practice her vocabulary. Now it almost came off as simple shyness to the rest of the world. Of course, Mike thought it was cute. He blushed to the tips of his ears and hoped Nancy couldn’t see from her room. 

“That’s really good, El,” he replied with a stupid silly grin on his face.

“You can come visit tomorrow?” she asked and Mike could hear the smile in her voice.

“Yeah, El,” Mike smiled more. “I’m coming to visit tomorrow with Nancy, and the Byers, and then I’m coming again on Saturday with the party.”

“Eggos?” she asked.

“Yeah El, we can have Eggos." He was grinning from ear to ear.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Mike said. “I will always have Eggos with you if you want.”

“What time?” El asked. 

Mike blocked the speaker so he wouldn’t yell in El’s ear and called to Nancy through her open door across the hall. “Nancy, what time tomorrow?”

Nancy came to stand in her doorway. “We can go around 11 if you want.”

Mike nodded and spoke back to El through the receiver. “Eleven o’clock.”

“Eleven- zero- zero,” she said as if committing it to memory. “Like me.”

“Yeah, El,” Mike smiled. She still used individual digits to tell the time even for ten and twelve, but she always said eleven as if it was one digit because she had known that number since she was born. Mike smiled sadly then shook it off, she was okay and safe now. They would keep her safe. “What do you want to do tomorrow besides eat Eggos. I know Jonathan and Nancy have some surprises for you, but I can also bring a board game or a book or something.” 

“What do you want to do, Mike?” she asked with perfect grammar and Mike grinned in pride. 

“Um… Well, I could bring over Star Wars so you can see how awesome it is, or we can help you make a DnD character, or I could go through my books and we could practice your reading, or we could play a normal board game like Sorry or Monopoly, or-”

“Mike,” El cut him off and this time he could really hear her smiling through the phone.

“Yeah?” he said only a little out of breath, but he could feel his face heating up again.

“Bring whatever you want,” she said simply and he beamed as he thought of all the possibilities.

 

That night neither Mike nor El slept because of their excitement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Again, I'm sorry this was so short and filler-y. I actually went and watched youtube clips of Eleven as a refresher on her speech patterns because it's been so long since I've even thought about this or Stranger Things in general. I graduated college, had surgery, and then moved in with my 6 year long- distance girlfriend halfway across the country! So to say life has been hectic is a VAST understatement! 
> 
> If you're still here I LOVE YOU!!! If you're new WELCOME! 
> 
> You can check out my Tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/musingsofabookworm), but I don't use it much anymore, to be honest.


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